FAQs

FAQs

Our Scout hut can be found on Foxhall Road, down the lane opposite the Foxhall Community Centre entrance and Chilton Road. A location map can be found below:

In the first instance you should contact Scouts31st9th@outlook.com

Should my child be in Beavers, Cubs or Scouts?

Beavers is open to Boys and Girls of age 6 to 8

Cubs is open to Boys and Girls of age 8 to 10.5

Scouts is open to Boys and Girls of age 10.5 to 14

Explorers is open to Boys and Girls of age 14 to 18

What can I do if the waiting list is full?

The 31st/9th Ipswich Scout Group is a very popular and successful Scout Group and as such, places in the Group are in high demand. Unfortunately you may have to wait in turn for a place to become available. To ensure a fair system for all, places are offered strictly in the order in which they were placed on the waiting list.

Please mention if you are interested in becoming involved in the leadership of the group. We can always find a place for children whose parents are prepared to help out.

How is the 31st/9th Ipswich Scout Group structured?

At the 31st/9th Ipswich Scout Group we cater for Beavers, Cubs and Scouts. We are also affiliated with the Ipswich Alpha Explorer Unit.

A group of Beavers is referred to as a 'Colony', a group of Cubs is referred to as a 'Pack' and a group of Scouts is referred to as a 'Troop'.

Each of these is also referred to as a 'Section'

Foxhall Beaver Colony - Wednesday - 5:45 to 7:00

Britannia Beaver Colony - Wednesday - 6:00 to 7:15

Monday Cub Pack - Monday - 6:30 to 8:00

Tuesday Cub Pack - Tuesday - 6:30 to 8:00

Wednesday Cub Pack - Wednesday 5:30 to 7:00

Wednesday Scout Troop - Wednesday - 7:15 - to 9:00

Thursday Scout Troop - Thursday - 7:15 to 9:00

Explorers - Friday - 7:00 to 9:00

The 31st/9th Ipswich Scout Group is part of the Orwell District which covers East Ipswich, Felixstowe, Trimley and Kirton.

The Group Scout Leader leads the Scout Group and has a team of key people to help.

The uniformed Section Leaders each lead their team of assistants and helpers together with the young people in their section. Together they are responsible for the delivery of the programme for the young people who are members.

The 'business' side of the group is managed by a body called the 'Executive' which is led by the Group Chairman and also contains a Treasurer and a Secretary. This Executive meets 4/5x a year and also requires parent representatives from each Section.

Where do I buy Scarfs/Uniforms?

The official uniform for Beavers, Cubs and Scouts is available from Craftability, St Lawrence St, Ipswich as well as the Scout Website. Scarfs are available from your leader when your child starts the group for £5. Each Scout Group has their own colour scarf; ours is red and black and is distinctive to our Scout Group.

Where do the badges go on my uniform?

Please see the following pictures:

Where can I find out more information about badge work?

Beavers - http://www.scoutbase.org.uk/6to25/beaver/badges/

Cubs - http://www.scoutbase.org.uk/6to25/cub/badges/

Scouts - http://www.scoutbase.org.uk/6to25/scout/badges/

What are the Scouting Terms?

We follow the same term dates and holidays as defined by the county schools:

January to Easter is the Spring Term

Easter to July is the Summer Term

September to Christmas is the Autumn Term

We also break for half term during the same weeks as the local schools.

When do I start paying subscriptions (subs)?

Your child will usually be 'Invested' towards the end of their first term. 'Investment' is the ceremony when your child is formally joined into the Group. Once your child is invested we would consider that you are sufficiently committed to the Scout Group to begin paying subs.

How do I pay my subscriptions?

At the 31st/9th Ipswich Scout Group we expect subscriptions to be made at the start of each term either via BACs or via Cash/Cheque (made payable to 31st/9th Ipswich Scout Group). When you become eligible to pay subs you will information on how to pay subs.

Subs are currently £30 per child and are paid at the start of each term.

What are my subscriptions used for?

You pay £27 subscriptions per quarter which totals £108. £30 of this stays with your child's section and goes towards paying for sectional activities and supplies such as crafts/activity materials, badges and outings. The remaining £78 goes into Group funds and is used to pay for your child's personal insurance and the running costs of the hut such as electricity, water, ground rent and maintenance. In addition to covering the running costs, the Group will usually fund the purchase of larger pieces of equipment, training for leaders and various other expenses.

What is Gift Aid?

Gift Aid is a valuable source of Group funds. When you are registered for Gift Aid the Group will receive an extra 25p from the Inland Revenue for every £1 of your subs payment. So for a £27 subs payment, we receive an extra £6.75 and this provides a substantial boost to our funds.

All UK resident taxpayers are eligible for Gift Aid. You will receive a Gift Aid Form when your child starts with the Group. Please help us by filling this form out and returning it to your Child's leader.

What happens when it is time for my child to move up to the next section?

Your leader will speak to you about this during the term prior to your child's progression to their next section.

There is no fixed pattern to which Cub Pack or Scout Troop your child will move up to, it depends very much on availability at the time. We do need to balance the numbers between the three sections so occasionally we may only have availability within one or two of the sections and not the other. All sections accept girls.

What does the Scout Group expect of parents?

Scouting is run by volunteers, and all money for equipment and its maintenance is raised through fundraising, or by obtaining grants. To help us succeed with this, we ask every family within the Group to help and support our fundraising events where possible.

Parents may be asked to help out at their child's meeting on a rota basis, and to offer their help when needed to undertake activities held outside the hut. Outings require an increased ratio of adults to children for safety and to comply with insurance requirements therefore, if there are not enough helpers, the outing cannot go ahead.

What do I do if my child has a medical condition you should know about?

You must inform us if your child has any sort of medical condition that may become relevant to his/her time in the Scout Group. You can enter details of the condition on the registration form or you can tell your section leader directly if you would rather. Either way, this information will be treated in the strictest confidence.

Please don't try to hide the condition; it may do more harm than good. We strongly believe in equal opportunity for all children and guarantee that your child's condition will not negatively affect the way in which they are treated within the Scout Group.

What do we do in the community?

We are affiliated with St. Andrew's Church, on Britannia Road. All children are invited to certain church services, in uniform as part of the Scout Group. Details when these are will be communicated to you by your Child's leader.

In addition, we take part in the annual St Georges Day Parade, this is usually held along the Felixstowe Seafront along with other Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Explorers within the Orwell District. Your leaders will provide you with further details regarding this parade near the time.

Communications and Internet

Communications from your section leaders will generally be electronic. All sections have access to 'Online Scout Manager' and you will be registered on this system as you join the Group. There will also be occasional paper based communications

Data Protection

By indicating your agreement and signing the relevant registration form you are giving the Scout Group your permission to store information about you and your child including any medical information that you tell us about on the registration form.

The information which is held is only that which is essential to the administration of the group and this information will not be disclosed to anyone outside of the movement. The information is held in accordance with the Data Protection Act.

If you have any questions or concerns with regards to data storage, please contact our Chairman Mike Armstrong using the enclosed contact details.

The 31st/9th Ipswich Scout Group is a very popular and successful Scout Group and as such, places in the Group are in high demand. Unfortunately you may have to wait in turn for a place to become available. To ensure a fair system for all, places are offered strictly in the order in which they were placed on the waiting list.

Please mention if you are interested in becoming involved in the leadership of the group. We can always find a place for children whose parents are prepared to help out.

How is the 31st/9th Ipswich Scout Group structured?

At the 31st/9th Ipswich Scout Group we cater for Beavers, Cubs and Scouts. We are also affiliated with the Ipswich Alpha Explorer Unit.

A group of Beavers is referred to as a 'Colony', a group of Cubs is referred to as a 'Pack' and a group of Scouts is referred to as a 'Troop'.

Each of these is also referred to as a 'Section'

Foxhall Beaver Colony - Wednesday - 5:45 to 7:00

Britannia Beaver Colony - Wednesday - 6:00 to 7:15

Monday Cub Pack - Monday - 6:30 to 8:00

Tuesday Cub Pack - Tuesday - 6:30 to 8:00

Wednesday Cub Pack - Wednesday 5:30 to 7:00

Wednesday Scout Troop - Wednesday - 7:15 - to 9:00

Thursday Scout Troop - Thursday - 7:15 to 9:00

Explorers - Friday - 7:00 to 9:00

The 31st/9th Ipswich Scout Group is part of the Orwell District which covers East Ipswich, Nacton, Felixstowe, Trimley and Kirton.

The Group Scout Leader leads the Scout Group and has a team of key people to help.

The uniformed Section Leaders each lead their team of assistants and helpers together with the young people in their section. Together they are responsible for the delivery of the programme for the young people who are members.

The 'business' side of the group is managed by a body called the 'Executive' which is led by the Group Chairman and also contains a Treasurer and a Secretary. This Executive meets 4/5x a year and also requires parent representatives from each Section.

Where do I buy Scarfs/Uniforms?

The official uniform for Beavers, Cubs and Scouts is available from Craftability, St Lawrence St, Ipswich as well as the Scout Website. Scarfs are available from your leader when your child starts the group for £5. Each Scout Group has their own colour scarf; ours is red and black and is distinctive to our Scout Group.

We follow the same term dates and holidays as defined by the county schools:

January to Easter is the Spring Term

Easter to July is the Summer Term

September to Christmas is the Autumn Term

We also break for half term during the same weeks as the local schools.

When do I start paying subscriptions (subs)?

Your child will usually be 'Invested' towards the end of their first term. 'Investment' is the ceremony when your child is formally joined into the Group. Once your child is invested we would consider that you are sufficiently committed to the Scout Group to begin paying subs.

How do I pay my subscriptions?

At the 31st/9th Ipswich Scout Group we expect subscriptions to be made at the start of each term either via BACs or via Cash/Cheque (made payable to 31st/9th Ipswich Scout Group). When your child starts, you will be given information on how to pay subs.

Subs are currently £30 per child and are paid at the start of each term.

What are my subscriptions used for?

A portion pays for Scout Hut maintenance & bills, minibus/trailer maintenance and church rent. Another portion goes to Scout HQ (Gilwell Park), member fees and insurance, Leader support and activity centres, i.e. Hallowtree site. A portion also goes to District/County Teams for organised events such as St Georges Day Parade.

Each section receives £12 per child per term from the £30, this equates to a spend of just over £1 a week per child. This is why we charge for some trips and activities and why fundraising is important for the success of a Scout Group.

What is Gift Aid?

Gift Aid is a valuable source of Group funds. When you are registered for Gift Aid the Group will receive an extra 25p from the Inland Revenue for every £1 of your subs payment. So for a £30 subs payment, we receive an extra £7.50 and this provides a substantial boost to our funds.

All UK resident taxpayers are eligible for Gift Aid. You will receive a Gift Aid Form when your child starts with the Group. Please help us by filling this form out and returning it to your Child's leader.

What happens when it is time for my child to move up to the next section?

Your leader will speak to you about this during the term prior to your child's progression to their next section.

There is no fixed pattern to which Cub Pack or Scout Troop your child will move up to, it depends very much on availability at the time. We do need to balance the numbers between the three sections so occasionally we may only have availability within one or two of the sections and not the other. All sections accept girls.

What does the Scout Group expect of parents?

Scouting is run by volunteers, and all money for equipment and its maintenance is raised through fundraising, or by obtaining grants. To help us succeed with this, we ask every family within the Group to help and support our fundraising events where possible.

Parents may be asked to help out at their child's meeting on a rota basis, and to offer their help when needed to undertake activities held outside the hut. Outings require an increased ratio of adults to children for safety and to comply with insurance requirements therefore, if there are not enough helpers, the outing cannot go ahead.

What do I do if my child has a medical condition you should know about?

You must inform us if your child has any sort of medical condition that may become relevant to his/her time in the Scout Group. You can enter details of the condition on the registration form or you can tell your section leader directly if you would rather. Either way, this information will be treated in the strictest confidence.

Please don't try to hide the condition; it may do more harm than good. We strongly believe in equal opportunity for all children and guarantee that your child's condition will not negatively affect the way in which they are treated within the Scout Group.

What do we do in the community?

We are affiliated with St. Andrew's Church, on Britannia Road. All children are invited to certain church services, in uniform as part of the Scout Group. Details when these are will be communicated to you by your Child's leader.

In addition, we take part in the annual St Georges Day Parade, this is usually held along the Felixstowe Seafront along with other Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Explorers within the Orwell District. Your leaders will provide you with further details regarding this parade near the time.

Data Protection

By indicating your agreement and signing the relevant registration form you are giving the Scout Group your permission to store information about you and your child including any medical information that you tell us about on the registration form.

The information which is held is only that which is essential to the administration of the group and this information will not be disclosed to anyone outside of the movement. The information is held in accordance with the Data Protection Act.